Predators Acquire Forwards Dauphin and Helewka From the Coyotes

The Nashville Predators acquired forwards Laurent Dauphin and Adam Helewka from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Emil Pettersson.

Dauphin, 23, was drafted by the Coyotes in the second-round (39th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. This season he has scored 20 points (six goals,14 assists) in 34 games with AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. He played 35 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes scoring a total of four points. The young forward spent a majority of his career in the AHL playing scoring 102 points (44 G, 58 A) in 192 games.

Helewka, 23, has scored 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 41 games with the Roadrunners this season. He was drafted by San Jose Sharks in the fourth-round (106th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He spent most of his professional career in the AHL scoring 99 points (36 G, 63 A) in 165 games for the San Jose Barracuda and Roadrunners.

Pettersson, 25, is the older brother of Calder Trophy candidate Elias Pettersson. He was drafted in the sixth-round (155th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. This season he scored 33 points in 49 games with the with AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Pettersson is expected to fill in at center for Arizona immediately due to their injury crisis. The Coyotes currently have centers Brad Richardson, Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak injured.

This trade can help the Predators make a “big trade”. Adding these players can help pull a future trade for key players like Columbus Blue Jackets’ Artemi Panarin, Ottawa Senators’ Mark Stone or Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Predators general manager David Poile will be making more moves in order to execute a major trade before the deadline.